The Nine Princesses Novel

Chapter 52: Reputation

"Contempt," Coralina said.

Maelyn looked up from her supper. "What, Coco?"

"When Gord looks at me," said Coralina. "Utter, absolute contempt." The last word came through her teeth.

"He hates you?" Arialain said.

"Contempt is more than hate." Heidel sliced her veal chops into strips on a silver plate. "It's also disrespect. He hates her and he has no respect for her."

"Oh, thank you." Coralina glowered at Heidel. It didn't help that none of her sisters seemed outraged or even surprised.

"What do you expect, Coco?" Maelyn asked, her tone annoyingly maternal. "You must know you have a reputation."

Coralina shrugged. "Not a bad one."

Jaedis giggled. "Well, not a good one either! Half the men in the kingdom say they've kissed you at one time or other!"

"And you believe them?" Coralina snapped.

"Not all of them!" Jaedis laughed. "Certainly not the haymaker! He said he shirked his labor one day and the two of you hid inside a haystack, kissing until sundown."

Coralina kept her eyes on her plate. At sundown she had spent an hour extracting bits of straw from her hair.

Heidel smirked. "And don't forget the knights of Lumen Fortress."

Coralina groaned. Last year, the nine princesses had journeyed to Grunwold for Uncle Jarrod's wedding. For safety they'd been accompanied by six knights from Lumen Fortress, a stronghold near the kingdom's border. Coralina hadn't meant to flirt... at least not with all six. But by the time they reached Grunwold, the knights were nearly killing each other for her. After Coralina rejected six offers of marriage, the knights were heartbroken, Maelyn was furious, and the journey home had been fiercely uncomfortable.

"Silly goats," Coralina muttered.

"Some people say you should've had a dozen children by now," Arialain said softly.

"WHAT?" Coralina shouted as blood burned through her cheeks. "I've never... I've never...."

Maelyn was watching closely. "No, Coco?"

"Never! I promised Mother." But what did it matter? They wouldn't believe her.

Maelyn nodded. "But you see why Gord dislikes you. He's heard the rumors."

"Then why did he give me the owl? If he hates me so much?" The owl perched by her plate, gazing at her veal chops.

Maelyn shrugged. "I don't see why you should care. Gord is a peasant. You never liked peasants."

"I don't care," Coralina said. But she caught Heidel watching with a small smile. Heidel gave a quick wink and her smile widened.

"Have you learned all your lines?" Coralina didn't want Heidel saying whatever she was thinking.

"Most of them. Working on the evil laugh." Heidel grinned. The other princesses wanted a demonstration and then were happy to try renditions of their own.

Coralina ignored her sisters and her food. Her emotions tumbled like fighting dogs. Rage at Gord. Hate for Gord. Hurt by Gord. As the hurt deepened, so did her rage.

She needed more time. Time spent alone with him. He had to be in love with her before the play began.

That's when she'd strike back.